Newly arrived Ukrainian migrants may have their time in State accommodation cut substantially while those already in State accommodation could face relocations. These \u201cimmediate\u201d measures are under consideration amid fears the Government is going to \u201cexhaust\u201d its capacity to house people by the end of next month. <\/p>\n
The Department of Justice<\/a> has warned that with 50 new Ukrainians now seeking temporary protection in Ireland every day, the State will run out of available accommodation for them by the end of November, if current trends continue. <\/p>\n Minister for Justice Jim O\u2019Callaghan<\/a> is considering \u201cimmediate\u201d measures to cut the amount of time that those fleeing the Ukraine war<\/a> are accommodated by the State from 90 days to 30. The Government would also refuse to accommodate anyone coming to Ireland from Ukraine via a second country, or who had previously been granted temporary protection in another European member state. <\/p>\n The measures are being considered because of an increase in recent weeks in the number of people fleeing the war who have been granted temporary protection here. The Department of Justice believes this is because Ukraine has changed its laws to allow young men aged between 18 and 22 to leave the country. <\/p>\n A Department of Justice briefing seen by The Irish Times, which Mr O\u2019Callaghan will share with Government colleagues next week, warns that Government has had to scramble to repurpose and recontract accommodation to cope with the demand. The department has predicted that if current trends continue, \u201cwhereby approximately 50 people require 90-day accommodation daily, the total available capacity may be exhausted in November\u201d.<\/p>\n While the Government does not yet know if this is a temporary \u201cwave\u201d or a permanent trend, Mr O\u2019Callaghan is considering swift measures to manage the accommodation shortage and encourage the \u201cindependence and integration\u201d of Ukrainian people granted protection here. <\/p>\n Those already in 90-day accommodation centres would face \u201ctargeted relocations\u201d, with exceptions made for families with school-going children in a local area. And Ireland would \u201crefuse to provide accommodation to beneficiaries of temporary protection who arrive from secondary movement and have previously held temporary protection in another member state\u201d, the briefing says. <\/p>\n